Steve Dennen recently found himself in a sticky situation many
businesses face when they move. Despite lots of number crunching,
it was hard for his accounting firm to determine the total moving
budget, including office renovation. When Dennen considered his
options for a high-tech phone system, he decided to head down a
path many entrepreneurs are choosing to take these days: leasing
equipment. "We were moving and didn't have a [fixed]
budget," says the 47-year-old co-founder of Kenney, Dennen,
Lague P.C. in Andover, Massachusetts. "Leasing gave us the
flexibility of not having to purchase the system upfront, and it
was easier than getting a loan."

Although Dennen had previously leased equipment for his
6-year-old business, he felt encouraged to do so again when he
listened to his clients share positive stories about how easy it
was to lease. Dennen made the experience a little different this
time by going online to take care of the entire leasing
arrangement. Whether such transactions are done online or offline,
eight out of every 10 businesses currently lease instead of buy
equipment for their offices. And, according to the Equipment
Leasing Association of America, telecommunications and computer
equipment have taken the lead for the fastest-growing sector of
equipment leasing.

Mie-Yun Lee is the founder and editorial director of
BuyerZone.com, thew Internet purchasing hub for small business.
Diane O'Brien contributed to this article. For more information
on equipment leasing, log on to www.buyerzone.com/finance/leasing/index.html

Why The Growth?

Regardless of industry or business size, technology-based
equipment-computers, multifunctional devices, fax machines,
copiers, phone systems-is a must-have for practically every
business. The high price of technology equipment usually prevents
most businesses from purchasing it outright, and many entrepreneurs
aren't interested in spending enormous amounts of money for
equipment that could become obsolete in just a matter of
months.

In Dennen's case, leasing offered more flexibility than a
loan. Loans are certainly the way to go if you want to eventually
own the equipment and are comfortable with the in-depth approval
process and down payment required. But considering the twists and
turns businesses are bound to experience, having to make loan
payments on equipment you don't use anymore when your business
changes is the last thing you really need.

Just Your Type

There are two primary types of leases: operating and finance.
The one that's best for you clearly depends on your goal.

Operating leases typically last no more than five years. As a
rule, they're shorter than the life of the equipment, because
the lessee doesn't buy the equipment at the end of the lease
but instead trades it in for a new piece-making this a popular
choice for high-tech equipment leasing. Finance leases usually
result in the lessee buying the equipment when the lease is up.
These leases are typically spread over a longer period of time,
which reduces the monthly payments. Although operating leases
usually work better for businesses renting high-tech equipment,
don't disregard finance leasing altogether.

Dennen, who chose a 36-month finance lease in January 2000,
plans to buy the phone system at the end of the three years. And he
isn't worried about the equipment becoming obsolete. Although
phone systems advance with time, he doesn't think his business
would actually benefit from more sophisticated models.

David Arentsen, who analyzes the IT equipment leasing industry
for ShareMax, a Parsippany, New Jersey, procurement company that
provides a technology platform for sourcing, says finance leases
have certain advantages. "With an operating lease, you have
lease payments every month [indefinitely], which can be downright
annoying," Arentsen says, "so consider finance leasing if
there's [even] a portion of your business that doesn't need
cutting-edge technology." For example, your Web designer may
need a PC with the latest processor, but an employee who simply
needs access to databases or word processing applications could get
by with an older computer.

Then there are the three types of lessors: captive, independent
and leasing brokers. Captive lessors are subsidiaries of
manufacturing companies. They own the equipment and rent it out to
you. (Dell Computer, for example, is a captive lessor.) Independent
lessors buy equipment from different vendors and then lease it to
you. You can go straight to these vendors or deal with a lease
broker, who acts as a middleman, arranging leases between customers
and leasing providers that can fill their needs.

Dennen took his search for a lessor online, where he found
OneCore, which provides financial services for entrepreneurs and
acts as a leasing broker. The ease of being able to handle
everything online appealed to Dennen. He approached OneCore with
the vendor he wanted to lease from (Moscow Communications), and
OneCore took care of the rest. "We were actually a guinea pig
for OneCore, as one of its first clients," Dennen says.
"All we had to do was tell them the phone system we wanted,
and they handled all the details that went into establishing the
leasing relationship. It was a quick and easy process."

Arentsen says that no matter what type of lease you choose, you
should make sure service comes first. Before you sign your leasing
agreement, find out whether the lessor offers 24-hour maintenance
with a quick response time (as in hours, not days). He also
stresses the importance of choosing an established company with a
solid reputation to reduce the chances the lessor will go out of
business before your lease runs out. Be sure to check out the
Equipment Leasing Association of America (www.elaonline.com) member list. The
800 members follow the association's Code of Fair Business
Practices, which requires members to abide by certain stand-ards
that keep lessees' best interests in mind.

Making The Choice

Sure, leasing IT equipment can potentially save you headaches,
but is it all sunshine? Arentsen's July 2000 report on the IT
leasing industry points out many advantages to leasing IT
equipment, but it also sheds light on some drawbacks.

For instance, once you sign your name on the dotted line,
you're locked into that lease. If you realize you aren't
really using the equipment and determine you just don't need
it, you still have to pay. (When you cancel a lease, you usually
end up with stiff penalties.) Drawbacks can also hinge on the
specific piece of equipment you're interested in leasing.

Case in point: Dennen says he's been happy with his lease
and his relationship with OneCore. He admits he won't consider
leasing equipment such as PCs, however. While he believes his phone
system will suit his company's needs just fine when the lease
reaches its end, Dennen doesn't want to run the risk of having
outdated computers in his office. "Even with a two-year lease,
PCs may be obsolete by that time. It makes more sense to us to
purchase the PCs and use a program, like Gateway's, where we
can trade them in toward a new purchase in a year or so," he
explains.

As equipment leasing earns its reputation as the "road most
traveled," you'll probably discover that it beats
purchasing when you need to get new technology-based equipment for
your company. But despite Dennen's positive experience and
leasing's growing popularity, you should always measure the
pros and cons of leasing for each piece of equipment you're
considering. Whether you lease or buy, or come up with a
combination of both options that gives you the best of both worlds,
the way the puzzle fits together is different for each
business.

Speak The Lingo

$1 buyout lease: At the
end of the lease, you can purchase the leased equipment for $1.
Your monthly payments will be higher in this case.

Deferred payment lease:
A payment schedule that allows you to defer your first payment by
60 or 90 days. This is an example of the flexibility leasing
offers.

Economic/useful life:
The time period during which equipment will retain value. Most
high-tech equipment has an economic life of no more than five
years.

Equipment schedule: A
document provided by a lessor detailing the terms of the lease,
your payment schedule and the equipment being leased.

Fair market purchase
option: At the end of your lease, one of your purchasing
options is to buy the equipment at its fair market value.

Master lease: If you
already have a lease in place and want to lease additional
equipment, you can avoid negotiating a new contract by using the
same terms as on your initial lease, making it a master lease and
saving you time and money.

Modern equipment
substitution: A provision that can be negotiated into
your lease so you don't end your lease when the equipment
becomes outdated, but rather have it replaced with newer equipment
during the lease term.

Purchase option: A
provision written into the lease that gives you the option of
buying the equipment at the end of the lease. The price can be the
fair market value, or you can decide on a price when you negotiate
your lease.